An Arcane Study of Stars
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3.1 • 7 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
From Sydney J. Shields, the breakout author of The Honey Witch, comes An Arcane Study of Stars, a historical dark academia fantasy filled with ancient secret societies, a swoon-worthy rivals-to-lovers romance, and dangerous deals made after dark. Perfect for fans of The Atlas Six and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
When Claudia Jolicoeur is rejected from Cygnus University, a devilish stranger named Dorian appears in her nightmares and offers her a bargain: he will get her into Cygnus if she learns how to free him from a prison of stars. He takes a bite of her soul to seal the deal, and Claudia wakes to a letter from the High Sage of Cygnus stating she will take the place of Odette Dufort, a Rhetoric student who passed away.
Her arrival raises suspicions, rumors that she had a hand in Odette's death spread like wildfire, and Cassius MacLeod, the High Sage’s apprentice and Claudia's fellow Rhetoric student, seems hellbent on humiliating her. Determined to clear her name, she searches for any evidence that could prove her innocence. When someone—or something—starts slipping her pieces of Odette’s diary, Claudia uncovers a horrifying truth: over the last century, celestial witches at Cygnus have been murdered. Odette was one of them, and Claudia could be next. For her own protection, Claudia needs to free Dorian—and fast.
By night, she studies the stars, slowly unraveling the mystery of Dorian's prison. By day, she and Cassius wage rhetorical war as debate partners in class. What begins as a fierce rivalry devolves into something deeper, darker, and dangerously sensual. As Claudia inches closer to the truth, she must decide: would trusting Cassius be the last mistake she ever makes?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Shields (The Honey Witch) conjures a vast web of tantalizing mysteries at a magic university. Claudia Jolicoeur, who's grieving her mother's death and evading her drunken father's attempt to marry her off to a man 50 years her senior, applies to Cygnus University, where gods imbue magical powers in students. She hopes to study Astrologia, magic drawn from the stars, but her application is rejected. Then the demon Dorian appears to her in a dream and offers a bargain: he'll get her into Cygnus if she'll promise to use what she learns there to free him from his century-long imprisonment in the Realm of Nightmares. The next morning, Claudia is told there's a vacancy at Cygnus, but they've shut down the Astrologia program and she'll have to study Rhetoric instead. Upon arriving, she learns the vacancy was due to the death of a student named Odette. Worse, Claudia's new classmate Cassius, apprentice to the High Sage, accuses her of murdering Odette for her spot. Now Claudia must clear her name while also secretly breaking into the Astrologia tower to teach herself magic and solving the mystery of the disappearance of Sidarphion, god of Astrologia. The elaborate worldbuilding, persistent protagonist, simmering enemies-to-lovers romance between Claudia and Cassius, and twist-filled plot keep the pages turning. The author's fans will be well pleased.
